Advanced CT Scanners Lower Patients' Exposure to Radiation, Study

Using advanced Computed tomography scanners drastically reduce a patient's exposure to radiation, a new study states.

CT scans are considered as the standard care for diagnosing heart as well as lung conditions. But, it is considered that the increasing use of CT scans elevates patients' risk of cancer from exposure to radiation. The new Beaumont Health System discovered that the use of advanced CT scanning equipment helped focus on some major issues.

The study on 2,085 patients from nine centers in the U.S. and the Middle East found that using newer generation, dual source CT scanners dramatically lowers the exposure to radiation when compared to the first generation.

By using the new scanners, patients' radiation exposure dropped by 61 percent and there is no difference in the image quality for patients having CT scans for coronary artery disease, pulmonary embolism or aortic disease.

"Newer technology makes a difference in terms of radiation exposure and the difference is quite large," said study author Kavitha Chinnaiyan, M.D., director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging Research at the Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. "It is important for patients to ask questions when referred for a radiation-based test to understand what the procedure involves and what the risks are of the particular technique and if there are alternative imaging choices."

According to researchers, imaging studies not just impact the care for individual patient but also the growing trends in radiation exposure and the costs of health care. 

Dr. Chinnaiyan says, "Incidental findings may require further imaging studies with other radiation-based tests. In addition to choosing patients appropriately, it is important to discuss the risks and benefits of testing with patients, and to refer them to centers that offer newer technologies."

The finding was documented in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.